The subject matter described herein relates in general to a communication system, and in particular to a collaborative virtual reality online meeting platform.
Metrology devices, such as 3D laser scanner time-of-flight (TOF) coordinate measurement devices for example, may be used to generate three-dimensional (3D) representations of areas, such as buildings for example. A 3D laser scanner of this type steers a beam of light to a non-cooperative target such as a diffusely scattering surface of an object. A distance meter in the device measures a distance to the object, and angular encoders measure the angles of rotation of two axes in the device. The measured distance and two angles enable a processor in the device to determine the 3D coordinates of the target.
A TOF laser scanner is a scanner in which the distance to a target point is determined based on the speed of light in air between the scanner and a target point. Laser scanners are typically used for scanning closed or open spaces such as interior areas of buildings, industrial installations and tunnels. They may be used, for example, in industrial applications and accident reconstruction applications. A laser scanner optically scans and measures objects in a volume around the scanner through the acquisition of data points representing object surfaces within the volume. Such data points are obtained by transmitting a beam of light onto the objects and collecting the reflected or scattered light to determine the distance, two-angles (i.e., an azimuth and a zenith angle), and optionally a gray-scale value. This raw scan data, referred to herein as a point cloud (or point cloud data), is collected, stored and sent to a processor or processors to generate a 3D image representing the scanned area or object.
The scan data for a project can be shared with multiple parties using web sharing tools such as SCENE™ WebShare Cloud which is manufactured by FARO Technologies, Inc. of Lake Mary, Fla. Web sharing tools can be used to view and analyze point cloud data, to communicate and share scanning projects made up of one or more point clouds with multiple parties in a secure fashion, and to upload point cloud data to a central location for storage. When the multiple parties are in different geographic locations, an online meeting tool such as GoToMeeting™manufactured by LogMein, Inc. can be used to conduct meetings to discuss a scanning project. The meeting may include a detailed discussion of specific aspects of the point cloud data associated with the scanning project, however due to the size of the point cloud data it is represented as a simple two-dimensional image in the online meeting.
Accordingly, while point cloud data sharing systems and online meeting tools are suitable for their intended purposes, what is needed is an online meeting platform having certain features of embodiments of the present invention.